A Heart's Bitterness — page 70: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

62 A HEART’S BITTERNESS. she put on ‘arusset gown,’ and went and told Lord Ronald, and then: ‘*‘ He laughed a laugh of merry scorn ; He turned and kissed her where she stood; ‘If you are not the heiress born, And I,’ said he, ‘the next in blood— ‘Tf you are not the heiress born, And I,’ said he, ‘ the lawful heir, We two will wed to-morrow morn, And you shall still be Lady Clare.’ 5 ail «© Now, you see, she could not doubt that she was really loved. But few people are like that. My cousin, Clare Montressor, thinks the Lady Clare was simply idiotic to tell the truth; and I know if Lord Leigh had been in Lord Ronald’s place he would have blamed Clare, and ended all.” - Despite his sorrows and disturbance, Lord Keith had to smile at Violet’s simplicity. She was so exactly such as she had been four years before. ‘‘T am sure Leigh would have done better than that,” he said. : ‘‘ Lord Keith—Kenneth, you are a man, and you can tell me truly. If a man pretends to love a woman, and merely trifles with her feelings, and goes off and leaves her, is he always—is he not a cruel, bad man?’ Keith had heard various stories of Leigh, and he felt something of what was in her mind. He replied bravely: ‘Not always. You do not know the world nor women, Violet. There are women who pursue men and seek to marry them, and, failling, make a loud outcry about deceit and wounded affections. Men are not always the ones to blame. Some women claim attention, some misconstrue the commonest attentions. And then, if these follies have been in a man’s life, he settles down and abandons them when he is married.” -** Unless he has loved one he cannot forget,” said Violet. ‘‘T suppose there are some women so lovely they can never _be forgotten.” This was too much for the resolution of Kenneth Keith. His heart-woe burst forth in an uncontrollable cry: ‘Like you, Violet—little Violet, like you! Can I ever forget you?” Violet realized what she had done in opening, in her un- guarded confidence, such a flood-gate of passion, "her heart, Gomicbooksco